The Tham Luang cave rescue, also referred as the Thai cave rescue, was a Thai and international rescue effort for multiple members of a Thai football team who were trapped in a cave. On 23 June 2018, twelve members of a junior football team, aged 11 to 17, and their 25-year-old assistant coach, entered the cave Tham Luang Nang Non in Thailand's Chiang Rai Province. Shortly after, heavy rains partially flooded the cave, blocking the exit and forcing the group deeper into the cave.
Efforts to locate the group were hampered by rising water levels and strong currents, and no contact was made for more than a week. The rescue effort expanded into a massive operation amid intense worldwide media coverage and public interest. On July 2, after advancing through narrow passages and muddy waters, British divers found the group alive on an elevated rock about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) from the cave mouth. Rescue organizers discussed various options for extracting the group: whether to teach them basic diving skills to enable their early rescue, wait until a new entrance was found or drilled, or wait for the floodwaters to subside at the end of the monsoon season months later. After days of pumping water from the cave system and a respite from rain, the rescue teams hastened to get everyone out before the next monsoon rain, which was expected to bring a potential 52 mm (2.0 in) of additional rainfall and was predicted to start around 11 July. Between 8 and 10 July, all of the boys and their coach were rescued from the cave – four each day.
Over 1,000 people were involved in the rescue operation, including Thai Navy SEALs and volunteers and technical assistance teams from multiple countries. Saman Kunan, a 38-year-old former Thai SEAL, asphyxiated on 5 July while attempting to pass through a narrow passageway on return to the cave entrance after delivering supplies of air to the interior.
Disappearance[edit]
Tham Luang Nang Non is a karstic cave complex beneath Doi Nang Non, a mountain range on the border between Thailandand Myanmar.[10] The system is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) long and has many deep recesses, narrow passages and tunnels winding under hundreds of metres of limestone strata. Since part of the cave system is seasonally flooded, a sign advising against entering the caves during the rainy season (July–November) is posted at the entrance.[11]
On 23 June 2018, a group of twelve boys aged between 11 and 17 from a local junior football team named the Wild Boars and their 25-year-old assistant coach, Ekapol Chantawong,[12] went missing after setting out to explore the cave. They planned to have a picnic[13][14] to celebrate the 17th birthday of one of the boys, Peerapat Sompiangjai.[15] The team was stranded in the tunnels by sudden and continuous rainfall after they had entered the cave.[16] Their head coach alerted authorities to the missing group after seeing their unclaimed belongings at the cave entrance.[17]
Search and contact[edit]
Military divers searched the cave. A Thai Navy SEAL diver said the water was so murky that even with lights they could not see where they were going underwater.[18] After continuous rain, which further flooded the cave entrance, the search had to be periodically interrupted.[19] After four days, the Thai Navy SEALs were joined by a group of 30 personnel of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, and by British cave diving rescue experts Richard Stanton, John Volanthen, and Robert Harper,[20][21]who brought Heyphone LF radios borrowed from the Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation.[22]
Policemen with sniffer dogs searched for shaft openings that could provide alternative entrances to the cave branches below. Drones and robots were used to improve the search effort; however, no technology currently exists to scan for people deep underground.[23]
The twelve boys and the coach were discovered, all alive, on 2 July, at approximately 22:00[24] by Stanton and Volanthen, whose efforts were overseen from outside by Harper.[25] The group was found on a narrow rock shelf about 400 metres (1,300 ft) beyond the "Pattaya Beach" chamber,[24][26][27] named after an above-ground beach in Thailand. Volanthen was placing guidelines in the cave to later assist others in navigation. He ran out of line, which led him to swim to the surface—there, he found the missing team and its coach.[28] The ledge where they were found is about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi)[29] from the cave mouth.[30] A video of the encounter, showing the boys and their interactions with the divers, was posted on Facebook by the Thai Navy SEALs.[31] In the video, the dazed boys appear to be unaware of how long they have been trapped deep underground, as they ask the divers what day it is.[16] Former Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osatanakorn, who was responsible for organising the rescue, announcing the development, said "We found them safe. But the operation isn't over."[32][33]
Team[edit]
| Name[14][34] | Age | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Chanin Vibulrungruang | 11 | |
| Panumas Sangdee | 13 | |
| Duganpet Promtep | 13 | Team captain[34] |
| Somepong Jaiwong | 13 | |
| Mongkol Booneiam | 13 | Rescued in first mission[35] |
| Nattawut Takamrong | 14 | Rescued in first mission[36] |
| Ekarat Wongsukchan | 14 | |
| Adul Sam-on | 14 | Only English speaker, able to communicate with the initial rescue party[34] |
| Prajak Sutham | 15 | Rescued in first mission[35] |
| Pipat Pho | 15 | Rescued in first mission[36] |
| Pornchai Kamluang | 16 | |
| Peerapat Sompiangjai | 17 | Boy whose birthday celebration prompted entry into the cave[37] |
| Ekapol Chantawong | 25 | Assistant coach and former monk[34] |
The assistant coach and three of the boys have no nationality, according to the founder of the Wild Boars team, Nopparat Khanthavong. He explained that they are from tribes in an area that extends across Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and China, where borders have changed and people do not have passports. He said it has been difficult for the boys to travel to games outside Chiang Rai province. "To get nationality is the biggest hope for the boys", he said.[38]
Aid inside[edit]
On 3 July, seven divers, including a nurse and an Australian doctor, joined the group inside the caves. The doctor, Richard Harris, is an anaesthetist with extensive diving experience.[39] Thai officials told reporters that rescuers were providing health checks and treatment, and keeping the boys entertained, adding that none of those trapped was in a serious condition. "They have been fed with easy-to-digest, high-energy food with vitamins and minerals, under the supervision of a doctor," Rear Admiral Apagorn Youkonggaew, head of the Thai Navy's Special Forces, told reporters. A video made by the rescuers, and shared a few hours later by the Thai Navy SEALs, showed all twelve boys and their coach introducing themselves and stating their age. Wrapped in emergency blankets and appearing frail, they all said hello to the outside world. "Sawatdi khrap," each boy says with his palms together in wai, the traditional Thai greeting.[40] A second video shows a medic treating them.[41] It was believed that some of the group could not swim,[42] complicating what would already be a difficult rescue.[43]
The boys and their coach corresponded with relatives and rescuers through letters sent by divers in and out of the cave. Many of the notes professed their safety, reassured the recipients that everything is fine, and included words of love, reassurance and encouragement.[44]
Planning and preparation[edit]
Several different rescue efforts were simultaneously planned and implemented by those officially in charge of the rescue and by individuals and organizations throughout the world. In addition to the plan to wait until the end of the monsoon season, other plans discussed and implemented by the officials in charge of the rescue included teaching them basic diving skills, and efforts to find existing entrances into the cave and drill new ones. More than 100 shafts were drilled into the soft limestone, and one shaft was discovered that went down 900 meters.[45]
Rescue workers had to battle rising water levels, and leaders said that those trapped might either have to learn how to dive or wait months for waters to recede.[46][47][48]Normally, the cave system is flooded in the rainy season, which lasts until September or October.[49]
Surveys showed flooded passages in a portion of the cave that penetrates far into the mountain. The point where the boys became stranded is about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi)[29] from the entrance and 800–1,000 metres (2,600–3,300 ft) below the top of the mountain.[50] The route to them had several flooded sections, some with strong currents and zero visibility,[51] and some parts which are extremely narrow, the narrowest measuring only 38 by 72 centimetres (15 in × 28 in).[52][53][54] The journey length into the cave is six hours (against the current) and five hours out of the cave (with the current),[55] even for experienced divers,[48] and panicking during the journey could prove fatal.[56] Teams searched for alternative entrances to the cave system which could allow for an easier escape route.[57] Drilling was used to help drain water and was also considered as a means to open a viable escape path, though no suitable location was found.[54][50]
Systems were quickly installed for pumping water out of the cave system and for diverting flows that were entering it. In combination with the unusually dry weather for the time of year, those efforts reduced water levels in the cave by 1.5 centimetres (0.59 in) per hour on 5 July, enabling rescue teams to walk 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) into the cave. Heavy rains were expected on 8 July, which might have halted or reversed this process and even threatened to flood the position where the team became trapped.[49][50] [58] On 4 July, it was reported the pumps were removing an estimated 1,600,000 l/h (420,000 US gal/h) in total.[59] The Czech Republic offered to provide a Czech manufacturer's high performance pumps; the state has four such pumps, each with an output of 400 litres per second (1,440,000 l/h (380,000 US gal/h)).[60]
On 6 July, the oxygen level in the cave was found to have dropped, raising fears that the trapped boys might develop hypoxia if they remained in the cave for a prolonged time period.[61][62] That same day, an air supply line was installed into the chamber.[63] However, by 8 July, the oxygen levels dropped to 15% while the level needed to maintain normal function of a human is between 19.5% and 23.5%.[64]
Divers[edit]
Ninety divers worked in the cave system, forty from Thailand and fifty from overseas.[65] Leaders of the rescue decided to have the team led out by experienced divers.[66] This required teaching them diving skills and preparing them physically and mentally for an extremely difficult journey.[54][62] Weather was expected to influence when and how operations would proceed.[58]
The British Cave Rescue Council sent seven divers to assist with the operation,[67] who brought 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) of diving equipment[68][69] and other experienced cave rescue personnel to provide surface control for the divers.[70]
Divers from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark and Finland also participated in the rescue.[71]
Diversion dam[edit]
A stone diversion dam was built upstream. In combination with pumping, this helped to lower the water level, but required flooding nearby farm fields.[72] For a time, well-meaning volunteers were inadvertently pumping water back into the groundwatersupply.[73]
Logistics camp[edit]
The rescue camp was located in front of the cave entrance and included hundreds of volunteers and journalists in addition to the rescue workers. The site was divided into several zones: restricted areas for the Thai Navy SEALs, other military personnel, and civilian rescuers, an area for the relatives to give them privacy, and areas for the press, and for the general public.[74]
Death of rescue diver[edit]
A 38-year-old security officer at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport and former Thai Navy SEAL petty officer first class,[75][76] Saman Kunan (Thai: สมาน กุนัน), died of asphyxiation while delivering supplies to the cave on 6 July.[77][78] He had volunteered to help with the rescue effort and was placing air tanks along the diving route for future missions when he was unable to breathe trying to pass through a narrow underwater passageway and lost consciousness during the return trip. [79] Kunan was brought to the surface by his dive partner, but attempts to resuscitate him failed. A royal-sponsored funeral in Bangkok was planned in his honour.[80]
Rescue[edit]
On the morning of 8 July, officials instructed the media and all non-essential personnel around the cave entrance to clear the area as a rescue operation was imminent due to the threat of monsoon rains later in the week, which were expected to flood the cave until October. Thirteen rescue divers were sent into the caves to retrieve the boys using a "buddy system", where two divers would accompany each boy out of the cave, one ahead of him carrying the boy's air tank and one behind.[81]
The victims were all heavily sedated during the journey out of the cave to prevent them from panicking. The boys were each strapped to a rescue diver while in the water and placed on stretchers to be carried through the dry portions.[82] Contrary to early reports, the boys did not swim during their exit from the cave.[83] Each boy was equipped with a full face mask.[84] The authorities warned that extracting everyone would take several days, because crews had to replace air tanks, gear, and other supplies, requiring ten to twenty hours between each run.[85][86][87]
Shortly after 19:00, local officials said that two boys had been rescued from the cave and taken to Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital.[88][89][90] Shortly after, two more boys exited the cave and were assessed by medical officials nearby.[88] Low water levels had reduced the time required for the rescues.[91] The lower water was due to improved weather and construction of a weir outside the cave to help control the water.[92]
On 10 July, all twelve boys and their coach were reported to have been rescued.[3][4][5][93] The healthiest boys were rescued first, as officials believed they would have the best chance of surviving the escape route first.[94] Just hours after the last boy had been retrieved, the main water pump failed. This resulted in the water levels beginning to rise again, with close to 100 rescuers still located 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) inside the cave packing up the rescue equipment. The remaining rescuers managed to rush to the exit in under an hour.[95]
A number of news outlets reported on the role coach Ekapol had played during the rescue efforts. The coach had previously been a Buddhist monk, and had guided meditation for the children during the ordeal. He also had passed on a message in which he apologised for bringing the children into danger.[96][97]
Rescuers[edit]
According to a video posted by the Thai Navy SEALs, there were 215 rescuers in the operation, 129 of which were people who helped in transporting. The rest were divers and supporting teams as follows:[98]
| Unit / Nationality | Divers | Support |
|---|---|---|
| Thai Navy SEALs | 18 | - |
| Royal Thai Army | 1 | - |
| Other units of the Royal Thai Navy | - | 8 |
| Australia | 8 | 7 |
| Canada | 1 | - |
| China | 1 | 6 |
| Denmark | 2 | - |
| Finland | 1 | - |
| Thai | - | 5 |
| United Kingdom | 5 | 9 |
| United States | 5 | 9 |
| Total | 42 | 44 |
Recovery[edit]
Thai authorities said the rescued boys were able to eat rice porridge, but more complex foods would be withheld for ten days.[99] The Thai Health Ministry said the boys each lost an average of 2 kilograms (4.4 lb), but were in "good condition".[100] The boys were quarantined while health workers determined if they caught any infectious diseases in the cave and were expected to remain hospitalised for at least a week.[101] Due to the prolonged stay in the damp cave environment, officials were worried about potential infections such as histoplasmosis or leptospirosis.[102] Officials said the parents of the team visited through a window, but if laboratory results prove negative, the parents may visit in person while wearing a medical gown, face mask and hair cap.[103]
The boys wore sunglasses as a precaution while their eyes adjusted to daylight. They all were to undergo detailed testing of their eyes, nutrition, mental health and blood. A Health Ministry physician said all the boys showed an increase in white blood cells, so preventive antibiotic doses were given to the entire team.[103] News photos from 11 July 2018 show the first batch of boys no longer wearing sunglasses.[104]
Responses[edit]
Local[edit]
Residents of Chiang Rai province volunteered to cook, clean for, and otherwise support the missing team's families and the rescue teams at the encampment by the cave mouth.[10] Social media were used to draw attention to the rescue attempts.[10] Classmates and teachers of the team spent time chanting and praying for the missing boys.[105] Local schools donated money to help the parents with living costs, as many of them stopped working in order to be able to follow the rescue attempts.[74] On 29 June, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha visited the search site and told the families of the boys not to give up hope.[106]
The incident prompted some to criticise the boys and, in particular, assistant coach Ekapol Chantawong, for "carelessness" by venturing deep into the cave despite a large warning sign at the entrance. A police chief told the newspaper Khao Sod that he "hadn't ruled out" pressing negligence charges against the coach for putting the team in danger. A number of lawyers stated that the coach would probably not face criminal charges, since Thai law also takes into consideration whether a person has malicious intent. The coach was reported to have treated the boys with care, giving them his food, helping them remain calm, and instructing them to drink water dripping from the cave walls, which is relatively clean, instead of the murky floodwaters that trapped them. The team's head coach, Naparat Guntawong, said he would not have approved of the cave hike, but was confident in Chantawong's ability to take care of the boys. Prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that emphasis should focus on the rescue and the recovery of the team, and he asked the public to avoid a rush to judgment.[107][108][109]
Following the death of Saman Kunan, King Rama X announced that he would sponsor Kunan's funeral.[110]
International[edit]
Volunteers, teams and technical specialists from countries including the United Kingdom,[24] China,[24][111] the Czech Republic,[112] Myanmar,[24] Laos,[24] Australia,[113]the United States,[24] Japan,[114] Russia,[115][116] Finland,[117] Denmark,[118][119] Sweden,[120] the Netherlands,[121] Belgium,[122] Germany,[119] Ukraine,[123]Israel,[124][125] the Philippines[126] and India[127] participated in the operation. France also offered to send a team of specialists and equipment, but Thai authorities believed that adequate resources were already on site.[128]
Elon Musk announced via Twitter that he had ordered his engineers to design a "kid-sized" submarine to assist the rescue effort, and tweeted every step of the process. Inflatable escape pods were designed and fabricated then flown to Thailand for use if needed.[129][130][131] Musk flew to Thailand to deliver the submarine, but having already rescued eight of the twelve children, the Thai authorities declined to use the submarine, announcing publicly that they considered it "impractical" for the rescue mission.[132][133] Musk left the submarine at the cave site, tweeting "Thailand is beautiful."
FIFA, via a letter from its president Gianni Infantino to the president of the Football Association of Thailand, invited the children and coach trapped in the cave to the World Cup final if circumstances allowed.[134] The entire team is expected to remain hospitalised for at least a week, and watch the final on television instead.[135]
Manchester United F.C., a club one of the boys was pictured wearing the jersey of, issued an invitation to the Wild Boars Football Club and their rescuers to attend a match at Old Trafford next season.[136]
FC Barcelona has invited the team to play in their international academy tournament during the next year, and also to watch a first-team game at their home stadium Nou Camp in Barcelona, Catalonia.[136]
Timeline[edit]
23 June : The team entered the Tham Luang cave shortly after practice and prior to heavy rain. Later, the mother of one of the boys reported to local police that her son was missing after he failed to arrive home. Local police investigated and found shoes and bicycles near the entrance of the cave.[137]
24 June : Handprints and footprints of the boys were found by officials. A vigil is held outside of the cave by relatives.[137]
25 June : Thai Navy SEAL divers enter the cave to search for the team.[137]
26 June : Having arrived at a T-junction, divers were pushed back due to floodwaters. The floodwaters blocked an elevated air pocket near Pattaya Beach, where divers believe the team may have been stranded.[137]
27 June : British and a U.S. military team of divers and experts were sent to Thailand to help with the search. Divers re-entered but quickly retreated due to another flooding.[137][138]
28 June : Heavy rains caused the rescue operation to stop temporarily. In order to drain the water, pumps were delivered. Drones were dispatched to assist more than 600 people in search of new vents in the cave roof.[137][138]
29 June : Prayut Chan-o-cha, the Prime Minister of Thailand, visited the site.[137]
30 June : The search resumed after divers took advantage of a brief pause in the rainfall. They advanced further, but still were far from where they believed the boys might be stranded.[137]
1 July : As divers went deeper into the cave, they established a temporary operating base in which diving cylinders and other supplies were set up.[137]
2 July : The team were found alive in the evening by the British diving team, 400 m (1,300 ft) further than Pattaya Beach.[137] around 20:20.[24]
3 July : Seven divers, including a doctor and a nurse, joined the team in the cave. Food and medical supplies, including high calorie gels and paracetamol, were supplied to the boys.[137]
4 July : The team were taught how to use a diving mask and breathing apparatus as rescue teams worked on pumping water from the cave.[137]
5 July : The rescue was forced to move quicker due to expected rain. Another group searched the mountains for any new cracks or openings.[137]
6 July : Saman Kunan, a former Thai navy diver and volunteer of the rescue mission, died between 01:00 to 02:00 while placing diving cylinders underwater along the route to the stranded boys.[139] Authorities urged that the rescue happen more quickly, due to low oxygen levels.[137]
7 July : The rescue chief claimed that it was not suitable for the team to dive yet. More than 100 vents were being drilled in an attempt to reach the team. A letter appeared from the coach of the team, apologising to the boys' parents.[14][137]
8 July : Thirteen divers went into the cave and led four of the boys to safety.[81] The first boy was reported to have come out at around 17:40, and the fourth one was reported to have come out at around 19:50,[140] though not all sources agree. The four boys were taken to a nearby hospital. It was announced that divers would not resume the rescue for at least another 10 hours, as they needed to replenish supplies.[137]
9 July : Four more boys were confirmed to be out of the cave and then taken to the hospital. It was also announced that the boys would be kept in quarantine.[141]
